I was in Chicago earlier this week with Mindy (our President and Media Director) for a client meeting. I love traveling, whether work or play, but when it is for work, I always try to add a day, no matter where I am. There are exceptions. I figured one day in Wichita was plenty for that Cessna meeting a few years back. But Chicago? Heck yeah, we added a day.
I grew up in Chicago. Well, the suburbs of Chicago, but I did live and work downtown after college. My first job was at Foote, Cone & Belding right off Michigan Avenue back in 1989. I was on the Coors Brewing Company account which turned out to be a foreshadowing for moving out here to Colorado even though one had nothing to do with the other.
Mindy was a real trooper and pretended she was indeed interested in my sentimental drive through the city to see my two work locations and all four of the apartments I rented. Our tour spanned from the Magnificent Mile, through Lincoln Park and all the way to Wrigleyville.
I launched my career in advertising in the Windy City and it was fun to see my old hangouts, including the dive bars we would hang out in after, and sometimes during work. I can’t believe Streeters is still there!
My reminiscing was compounded by a visit from my sister who is largely responsible for getting me interested in the advertising industry (she has been on the Account Services side her whole career and continues to kick ass in it today). We both started our careers in advertising as toddlers while we played Chip Store. Many kids played with Legos or rollicked on the swing-set in the backyard, but no, Vicki and I played Chip Store (read here for that story).
The media landscape has changed a little bit from 1989 to today (rolling eyes). In Chip Store or even my first job at FCB, I couldn’t ever have imagined investigating Augmented Reality vendors or discussing the merits of having a trading desk in-house for programmatic buys versus using vendors.
As I toured Chicago again, random things popped in my head. Like when we walked by the Tribune Tower and saw the statue of Jack Brickhouse (hall of fame baseball announcer) and then later when we went by Wrigley Field, I couldn’t help but sing, “5-8-8, 2-3-hundred, Empire,” in my head because they were big sponsors of the Cubs.
Listen to this jingle! It’s worse than riding It’s a Small World at DisneyWorld. You can’t get it out of your head.
Which made me Google old advertising jingles. Yes, I’ve spent the last few hours on my couch at home singing McDonalds songs and reciting Oscar Mayer wiener jingles. Chip Store really messed me up.
By the way, American Music Concepts put together a pretty strong list of best advertising jingles ever. Check it out here.
What else should be on the list? And how can we bring back jingles? Lets get some jingles in the next big AR campaign!!!